After stalling somewhat over the winter, the refit of Jemima D is about to recommence. I have a few questions and would welcome any views, opinions or experience.
We are intending to insulate using expanded polystyrene sheet. I would like to know what adhesive we should use to attach it to the steel hull and cabin. I have been told that adhesive is not necessary, that simply by cutting to the right size it can be wedged in place. This may be true, of the flat sections at least, but not where there are curves towards the bow. Additionally, this will introduce an air gap next to the steel with the possibility of just the condensation problems we are trying to avoid. Following on from the above, will it be necessary to paint the steel before fixing the polystyrene? The surfaces at present are of the familiar mixture of red oxide and rust. I presume that this will depend on the nature of the adhesive but I would rather avoid this extra paint job if I can. I intend to take great care in the refitting of the solid fuel stove, having seen the charring caused by the previous installation and having read about unfortunate instances. I think that I am OK on the stove itself but I'm not sure about the stovepipe, in particular the arrangement where it passes through the lining and insulation. Any advice welcome. The Boat Safety Scheme advice on ventilation at http://tinyurl.com/2hvk9g requires, in order to calculate the necessary ventilation area, the 'total input rating (kW) for all appliances (including cookers) without flues' and 'input rating (kW) for all open or closed flue appliances'. The relevant devices, all previously fitted to the boat, are: A 'Morco D51B' propane water heater A 'Boatman' solid fuel heating stove A 'Flavel Vanessa' propane cooking stove An updated verion of the Morco quotes 11Kw. A figure of 6Kw has been suggested to me for the Boatman. I can find no information on the Flavel. Can anyone add any information to the above? On the vent side of ventilation, most advertised louvred vent covers quote their effective area but nobody seems willing to commit themselves on mushroom roof vents. Any suggestions for a standard 4" vent? Thanks in advance for any help. -- Mike Casswell
